Device for holding horizontal array of liquid aliquots

Abstract

A device for holding a horizontal array of discrete aliquots of treating liquid having, (a) a horizontally-extending rigid base, (b) a horizontally-extending elastomeric member (or coating) on the horizontally-extending rigid base with a substantially planar horizontally-extending upper surface, and (c) a plurality of recesses formed in the elastomeric member, each recess opening to the horizontally-extending upper surface, the elastomeric member (or coating) having at its upper surface a material sufficiently incompatible with the treating liquid for a discrete aliquot of treating liquid in a recess to form a convex shape extending above the plane of the adjacent upper surface of the elastomeric member (or coating).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for holding a horizontal array of discrete aliquots of treating liquid consisting essentially of: (a) a horizontally-extending rigid base,   (b) a horizontally-extending elastomeric member on the horizontally-extending rigid base, the elastomeric member having a substantially planar horizontally-extending upper surface, and   (c) a plurality of recesses formed in the elastomeric member, each recess being sized to receive internally only microliter quantities of a treating liquid and opening to the horizontally-extending upper surface, the elastomeric member having at its upper surface a material sufficiently incompatible with an aqueous treating liquid for a discrete aliquot of treating liquid of small volume greater than the internal volume of a recess to form a convex shape extending from within a recess above the plane of the adjacent upper surface of the elastomeric member.   
     
     
       2. The device of claim 1 wherein each recess extends vertically through the elastomeric member and wherein the elastomeric member around each recess is sealed to the rigid base. 
     
     
       3. The device of claim 2 wherein each recess is circular in horizontal cross-section. 
     
     
       4. The device of claim 2 wherein each recess has an elliptical horizontal cross-section with a major axis extending in a first direction. 
     
     
       5. The device of claim 4 wherein each recess is separated in a horizontal direction normal to the first direction from an adjacent recess by at least one millimeter. 
     
     
       6. The device of claim 1 wherein each recess is separated from an adjacent recess in each horizontal direction by at least one millimeter. 
     
     
       7. The device of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric member is separable from the rigid base. 
     
     
       8. A device for holding a horizontal array of discrete aliquots of treating liquid consisting essentially of: (a) a horizontally-extending rigid base,   (b) a horizontally-extending elastomeric member on the horizontally-extending rigid base, the elastomeric member having a substantially planar horizontally-extending upper surface,   (c) a plurality of recesses formed in the elastomeric member, each recess being sized to receive internally only microliter quantities of a treating liquid and opening to the horizontally-extending upper surface, the elastomeric member having at its upper surface a material sufficiently incompatible with an aqueous treating liquid for a discrete aliquot of treating liquid of small volume greater than the internal volume of a recess to form a convex shape extending from within a recess above the plane of the adjacent upper surface of the elastomeric member, and   (d) a holder under the horizontally-extending rigid base, the unitary horizontally-extending rigid base and horizontally-extending elastomeric member being removable from the holder.   
     
     
       9. The device of claim 8 wherein each recess has an elliptical horizontal cross-section with a major axis extending in a first direction. 
     
     
       10. The device of claim 9 wherein each recess is separated in a horizontal direction normal to the first direction from an adjacent recess by at least one milimeter. 
     
     
       11. The device of claim 8 wherein each recess is separated from an adjacent recess in each horizontal direction by at least one millimeter.